CSSD Weight Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An athlete wants to cut weight for competition. Which method is MOST evidence-based for preserving lean mass during a caloric deficit?
- Rapid weight loss of >1.5% body weight per week
- Slow deficit of 300–500 kcal/day with high protein intake (~1.8–2.4 g/kg) (Correct answer)
- Severe carbohydrate restriction below 50 g/day
- Intermittent fasting with no protein timing strategy
Correct answer: Slow deficit of 300–500 kcal/day with high protein intake (~1.8–2.4 g/kg)
A modest caloric deficit combined with high protein intake best preserves lean mass during weight loss in athletes.
Question 2: A wrestler needs to lose 3 kg in 5 days before weigh-in. The CSSD should PRIMARILY counsel against this practice because:
- It is prohibited by governing bodies
- Rapid weight cutting impairs strength, endurance, and cognitive performance (Correct answer)
- It will permanently lower the athlete's set point
- Carbohydrate depletion alone is sufficient risk
Correct answer: Rapid weight cutting impairs strength, endurance, and cognitive performance
Rapid weight cutting causes measurable decrements in strength, aerobic capacity, and decision-making ability that persist through competition.
Question 3: Which hormonal adaptation is MOST associated with prolonged negative energy balance in female athletes?
- Elevated leptin
- Suppressed luteinizing hormone (LH) pulsatility (Correct answer)
- Increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Elevated insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)
Correct answer: Suppressed luteinizing hormone (LH) pulsatility
Chronic low energy availability suppresses LH pulsatility, disrupting the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and menstrual function.
Question 4: When calculating an athlete's target weight for a lower weight class, which approach is MOST appropriate?
- Subtract 10% from current body weight regardless of composition
- Determine minimum competition weight based on minimum body fat thresholds and fat-free mass (Correct answer)
- Use BMI to determine the lowest healthy weight class
- Estimate based on the athlete's self-reported desired weight
Correct answer: Determine minimum competition weight based on minimum body fat thresholds and fat-free mass
Minimum competition weight is calculated using current fat-free mass and established minimum body fat thresholds to avoid unsafe weight cutting.
Question 5: A male endurance athlete in a 600 kcal/day deficit reports declining training quality. The FIRST nutrition intervention should be:
- Add a pre-workout caffeine supplement
- Increase carbohydrate availability around training sessions while maintaining overall deficit (Correct answer)
- Eliminate dietary fat to preserve carbohydrate intake
- Switch to a ketogenic diet to spare glycogen
Correct answer: Increase carbohydrate availability around training sessions while maintaining overall deficit
Strategically timing higher carbohydrate intake around training sessions can maintain performance even within an overall caloric deficit.
Question 6: Which body composition assessment method is considered the criterion standard for measuring fat mass in research settings?
- Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
- Skinfold calipers
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (Correct answer)
- Hydrostatic weighing
Correct answer: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
DXA is widely considered the criterion standard in research due to its ability to differentiate bone, fat, and lean tissue with high accuracy.
Question 7: An athlete recovering from an eating disorder wants to improve body composition. The CSSD's PRIMARY role should be to:
- Design an aggressive deficit to reach goal weight quickly
- Collaborate with the multidisciplinary treatment team and focus on health-supportive eating behaviors (Correct answer)
- Provide a high-protein diet plan independently
- Recommend body composition testing monthly to track progress
Correct answer: Collaborate with the multidisciplinary treatment team and focus on health-supportive eating behaviors
Athletes with eating disorder histories require coordinated care; the CSSD works within a multidisciplinary team and avoids approaches that reinforce diet culture.
CSSD Weight Management 2
An athlete wants to cut weight for competition.
Which method is MOST evidence-based for preserving lean mass during a caloric deficit?